This invention relates to an edible electrically high conducting food substance capable of being heated by means of the application thereto of electrical energy having:
A. Substantially diametrically opposite ends; PA1 B. At least one substantially solid surface; PA1 C. At least two electrical contacts located at said substantially diametrically opposite ends of said food substance, and in contact with said substantially solid surface; and PA1 D. At least a substantial portion of said substantially solid surface having in intimate contact therewith, and as an integral portion thereof, a composition consisting essentially of: PA1 a. An electrically low conducting food; PA1 b. An electrically high conducting food disposed in proximate contact with said low conducting food; PA1 c. Said high conducting food having two axially polar high conducting food portions having external surfaces and extending outwardly beyond said low conducting food; PA1 d. Enclosing said low conducting food, a hollow thermally insulating substantially moisture-impervious container for holding said electrically low conducting food, said container being capable of existing in a closed position and in an open position, said container comprising two sections having substantially conterminous edges, a first section and a second section articulating said first section, said first section and said second section having mutually substantial continuous co-extensive edges, at least of one said sections having an internal surface designed to fixedly hold said food over a substantial portion of the surfaces of said food when the container is in a closed position; PA1 e. At least one of said container sections having axially polar ends, said axially polar ends having internal axially polar surfaces which are co-extensive with the external surface of said axially polar high conducting food portions; PA1 f. Electrical conducting means extending outwardly from said container, said electrical conducting means having electrical conducting ends external to said container, said ends being designed to make electrical contact with the terminals of an electrical energy source when said container is in a closed position, said electrical conducting means being affixed to each of said internal axially polar surfaces, said electrical conducting means being in intimate electrical contact with the external surfaces of said two axially polar high conducting food portions when said container is in a closed position. PA1 ". . . these pads are formed from a porous cellulose sponge material saturated with an electrolytic solution such as brine which renders the pads electrically conducting. Gelatin, alginate and other sponge-like substances may also be used to form the moisture-retaining pads. By reason of their resilient character, the electrolytic pads are capable of accommodating size differences and size changes in solid food products while at the same time insuring proper electrical contact therewith at all times during a food heating operation". PA1 a. Substantially diametrically opposite ends; PA1 b. At least one substantially solid surface; PA1 c. At least two electrical contacts located at said substantially diametrically opposite ends of said food substance and in contact with said substantially solid surface; and PA1 d. At least a substantial portion of said substantially solid surface having in intimate contact therewith, and as an integral portion thereof a composition consisting essentially of: PA1 i. An aqueous gel selected from the group consisting of agar, xanthan gum, tragacanth, guar gum, gum arabic and algin gum, in water; and PA1 ii. A substantially ionized species selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, magnesium chloride, sodium glutamate, potassium glutamate, sodium aliginate, potassium alginate, ammonium alginate, magnesium alginate, calcium alginate, sodium bicarbonate and calcium bicarbonate. PA1 a. An electrically high conducting food substance having at least one substantially solid surface; PA1 b. At least two electrical contacts located at substantially diametrically opposite ends of said food substance; and PA1 c. A composition, as described above, consisting essentially of: PA1 1. Ground meat patties; PA1 2. Sausage; PA1 3. Pizza topping; PA1 4. Kielbasa; PA1 5. Blintzes; PA1 6. Egg rolls; PA1 7. Cold cuts; PA1 8. Cold cuts-cheese combination, and PA1 9. Cold cut-chopped liver combination. PA1 i. From 86 up to 99.3 weight percent water; PA1 ii. From 0.5% up to 4.0% by weight of the said edible gel; and PA1 iii. From 0.2% up to 10.0% by weight of the edible ionized species. PA1 a. An electrically low conducting food having high electrical resistivity; PA1 b. An electrically high conducting food disposed in proximate contact with said low conducting food; PA1 c. Said high conducting food having at least two substantially diametrically opposite high conducting food portions, having substantially solid external surfaces; PA1 d. In common intimate contact with at least two portions of at least one of the external surfaces of said high conducting food; PA1 e. Enclosing said low conducting food, a hollow thermal insulating substantially moisture impervious container for holding said electrically low conducting food, said container being capable of existing in a closed position and in an open position, said container comprising two sections having substantially conterminous edges, a first section and a second section articulating said first section, said first section and said second section having mutually substantially continuous conterminous edges, at least one of said sections having an internal surface designed to fixedly hold said food over those portions of the external surfaces of said food which are in intimate non-arcing contact with said electrically high conducting composition and said electrical contacts when the container is in a closed position. PA1 a. At least one of said container sections has substantially diametrically opposite internal surfaces which are conterminous with the external surfaces of said diametrically opposite high conducting food portions; and PA1 b. The electrical contacts extend outwardly from said container, said electrical contacts having electrically conducting ends external to said container, said ends being designed to make electrical contact with an electrical energy source when said container is in a closed position. PA1 1. Makes contact with the electrically high conducting food substances; PA1 2. Extends or has an electrical connection from the ends, or the sides, to the outside of the container, shell or enclosure; PA1 3. Is in contact with the composition of our invention comprising the gel and the ionized species which composition simultaneously is in contact with the electrically high conducting food substance; and PA1 4. Makes contact during cooking with electrical contacts which are in turn in contact with an electrical energy source. PA1 1. Be thermally and electrically insulating; PA1 2. Totally envelop the electrically low conducting food; PA1 3. Have an internal surface fixedly holding the food over a significant portion of the surface of the food; PA1 4. Have internal substantially diametrically opposite surfaces which are co-extensive with the external surfaces of diametrically opposite food ends; and PA1 5. Have within the container, in intimate contact with the substantially diametrically opposite ends of the high conducting food (which have coated thereon or are in intimate contact with the composition comprising the gel and ionized species) electrical conducting means (such as aluminum metallizing aluminum foil) which extend outwardly from the container or shell or enclosure when it is in a closed position, which electrical conducting means are designed to make electrical contact with a source of electrical energy.
I. A gel; and PA2 Ii. A substantially ionized species PA2 i. A gel; and PA2 ii. A substantially ionized species PA2 i. An edible gel; and PA2 ii. An edible ionic species PA2 1. An electrically high conducting composition comprising: PA2 2. At least two electrical contacts said composition being positioned to make intimate contact between the two electrical contacts and the substantially solid surface of said electrically high conducting food whereby the contact is rendered non-arcing when an electromotive force is applied to said electrical contacts;
Said composition also being positioned to make intimate contact between the electrically high conducting food substance and the electrical contacts whereby the contact is rendered non-arcing when an electromotive force is applied to said electrical contacts. This invention is applied to a unit food package such as a unit sausage (e.g. frankfurter), pizza, hamburger, or cheeseburger package and more particularly to a unit moisture-containing compound food package in which an electrically conducting food such as a frankfurter, which is in intimate contact and within or upon a suitable non-electrically conductive food substance such as a bun, may be cooked without arcing occurring and caused to remain conveniently hot throughout and palatable for a convenient period of time after cooking. This invention also relates to the container used for enclosing the electrically non-conducting food and electrically conducting food, the said container being an integral part of said compound food unit.